Double Cup

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This drinking vessel is cleverly designed so that its lid can be used as a sharing cup. The heraldic arms on the lid—three Jewish hats linked at the center—correspond to those of a Jewish family from Zurich. Circling the lid are the names associated with the Magi who, in Christian belief, paid homage to the baby Jesus. Doctors in fourteenth-century Europe, Christians and Jews alike, suggested giving voice to the names "Caspar, Balthasar, Melchior" to promote good health. Inscribed on a drinking cup, the names serve much like a toast.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world. Displayed in both The Met Fifth Avenue and in the Museum's branch in northern Manhattan, The Met Cloisters, the collection encompasses the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome in the fourth century to the beginning of the Renaissance in the early sixteenth century. It also includes pre-medieval European works of art created during the Bronze Age and early Iron Age.

Metropolitan Museum of Art